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Just got back from the Pharmacy and grabbed my first bottle of Atripla.

I'm extremely nervous, scared, uncertain, anxious and a whole lotta other feelings right now about taking this tonight. It's my first med, my first night, my first experience with this overall..... I hope nothing serious/bad happens to me. Wish me luck! I should have an update for you guys tomorrow.

And thanks again to everyone that has helped me on this site. I really appreciate it.

I was waiting for something "big" to happen and anticipating very anxiously like I was waiting for the ball drop on New Years eve LOL. But then...nothing. I took it and went to bed and that was that.

I did wake up to pee in the middle of the night and felt a bit dizzy but that was it. The "vivid dreams" were somewhat there though, but nothing crazy..... No other side effect occurred, thank god... but it was only one night. So we will have to see what happens in the coming days. I will keep you updated.

I also bought some vitamins today (vitamin d, and a multivitamin) that I will also take, but separately from the atripla. That's what my pharmacist said. I get different answers from different people about when to take the vitamins.

I gotta tell ya, I started Atripla about 5 years ago ( now I take Viraday ) And I loved it!!!

It helps put me to sleep and I LOVE THE DREAMS!!!! Its like a mini vacation each night.

I hope you continue with all the positives associated with it.

BE CAREFUL IF YOU USE KNIFES OR OPERATE A CAR!!! NO JOKE... This stuff is not a good choice to be doing these things when your on it.

I just lay in bed and let my mind take off on a ride!

I find the dizziness and "drunkness" goes away by the time I wake up in the morning.

If I forget to take my pill at night I DO NOT TAKE IT THE NEXT MORNING BEFORE WORK. By doctor says I should take it, but I really cant function on it ... AT ALL.

The half life of the drug is long enough where if I miss it a few times/ month its still ok on my numbers as I've seen.

About your vitamins...I take a multivitamin every morning with breakfast. I read some where research has shown that HIV medicines deplete the human body of certain nutrients, and a daily multivitamin is good for replenishing those nutrients. I take mine daily, and I think it is part of what contributes to my being able to keep good numbers (non-detect CD4 862). That and daily exercise.

I gotta tell ya, I started Atripla about 5 years ago ( now I take Viraday ) And I loved it!!!

It helps put me to sleep and I LOVE THE DREAMS!!!! Its like a mini vacation each night.

I hope you continue with all the positives associated with it.

BE CAREFUL IF YOU USE KNIFES OR OPERATE A CAR!!! NO JOKE... This stuff is not a good choice to be doing these things when your on it.

I just lay in bed and let my mind take off on a ride!

I find the dizziness and "drunkness" goes away by the time I wake up in the morning.

If I forget to take my pill at night I DO NOT TAKE IT THE NEXT MORNING BEFORE WORK. By doctor says I should take it, but I really cant function on it ... AT ALL.

The half life of the drug is long enough where if I miss it a few times/ month its still ok on my numbers as I've seen.

About your vitamins...I take a multivitamin every morning with breakfast. I read some where research has shown that HIV medicines deplete the human body of certain nutrients, and a daily multivitamin is good for replenishing those nutrients. I take mine daily, and I think it is part of what contributes to my being able to keep good numbers (non-detect CD4 862). That and daily exercise.

Best of luck!

Thanks Nate!

I have been on Atripla for about 2.5 weeks so far... and side effects are very minimal. So far so good. I hope it stays this way or gets better. Besides the slight dizziness (which is almost gone), no other serious side effect has occurred.

I take my vitamin d and multivitamin usually in the afternoon at work. I also exercise 3 times a week (mostly lifting weights and let exercises).

I have yet to do my blood test but when I do, I will post the results here of course. It should be within a few weeks.

I started on Atripla last night for the first time. Hope my side effects are as good as some of you guys. This forum really gives some interesting points of view on being poz and medicines. The only thing I found that Atripla is so costly at $1,725.00 per month.

My numbers as I start are cd4 378 and vl 14500 hope for good numbers next month

zerotigra, I'm glad my post made you feel better. I'm sure you will do fine. If I can do, it so can you (I sound like a tv commercial lol). Atripla is a wonderful drug that works wonders. Wow 11 years and no meds until now??? Lucky you. I started right away, even though I had a choice, I was too afraid to wait and just wanted to get my numbers to the right place.

rocky48, Welcome to the Atripla club. You will probably have little to no side effects. I do agree that Atripla is costly, but thankfully it's cheaper where I'm at. I'm in Toronto, Canada and its about $1350 or so a month. Cheaper, but still expensive at the end of the day lol.

Both of you guys should be just fine and have great numbers when you do your next tests. Thanks again for the replies and keep us all posted

Well I'm actually now on my third night of Atripla. The first night I took it a couple hours before bed and was actually pleasantly surprised that I got a real nice buzz from it. Sleep was interrupted, woke up 4 or 5 times in the night and had crazy (but fun) dreams. I always have had strange dreams anyway so I don't think the drug really affected me a lot in that sense. Next day I was a little groggy, not sure what was due to the Atripla or the fact that I just didn't have a great sleep. Next night I took the pill and honestly was anticipating the buzz, and nothing happened. Business as usual. Next day pretty much normal - I had a couple of moments where I was a little dizzy but really pretty much normal. And after tonight I figure that I won't have any effects at all from this med. I am really really happy with this considering I was so scared to start meds and really I am so very relieved. I don't think this is going to affect my regular life at all. Cheers all.

Ok so after my last couple post, Atripla is pretty much a non-issue. I have NO side effects. At all. In fact for the last week while I have been on this drug I have awakened more refreshed and alive than I can remember in a long time. I'm usually a bad morning person but I feel really good now.

hellonew here to this site and relieved I am not the only one with this concern.I am on truvada, isentress and OMG AZT.ID is switching me to Atripla this week and nervous about the side effects. i have none with current combo but my load went up last draw. it was undectable last month. doc hated my combo anyway. my cd4 is 800 and vl 50.it was 40 last draw. glad to hear some people don't have the side effects. will keep this thread posted. thanks!

I like Atripla because it is SO nice to my stomach lol...the only real bothersome effect for me is the morning grogginess, but that's only because I eat a lot of fatty foods for dinner, and when I take my pill too close to when I'm done eating, it knocks me out..just watch ur eating habits at first

reading these has put my mind at rest a little if this is the med i start next week , gotta wait and see what the pharmacists says due to othe rmeds im currently on but if i get put on this it seems that the side effects are similar to the ones of my current meds ,hope all is goin well with your first line treatment

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Until the rainbow burns the stars out of the skyUntil the ocean covers every mountain highUntil the day that eight times eight times eight is fourUntil the day that it's the day that I'm no more Did you know that true love asks for nothingTheir acceptance is the way we payDid you know that life has given love a guarenteeThat last through foreverAnother day